WE Boardroom Welcomes Geekay Group's Ankit Tanna for an Exclusive Conversation on Business Growth and Digital Transformation

Dubai, UAE | 17 October 2026 — WE Global Network hosted another edition of its exclusive WE Boardroom series, welcoming Ankit Tanna, Group Head of Digital at Geekay Group, for an intimate, closed-door conversation with SME founders and business owners in Dubai.

The October session brought together a select group of entrepreneurs for an interactive discussion on building scalable businesses, digital transformation, automation, leadership and the importance of creating organisations that can operate independently of their founders.

Designed to bridge the gap between SMEs and corporate decision-makers, WE Boardroom continues to offer something rarely found in traditional business networking environments: the opportunity for entrepreneurs to sit across the table from an experienced corporate leader, ask questions directly and build meaningful professional relationships.

From India to Dubai: A Career Built Across Markets and Businesses

A central part of the October discussion focused on Ankit Tanna's professional journey and the experiences that have shaped his career across India and the UAE.

Currently serving as Group Head of Digital at Geekay Group, Ankit brings extensive experience in eCommerce, omnichannel retail, customer relationship management, digital transformation and business growth.

His career includes leadership roles with prominent organisations such as Reliance Brands Limited, Sacoor Brothers, Primarc Pecan Retail Limited and Genesis Gifts, spanning technology, luxury and premium retail, digital commerce and business operations.

During the session, Ankit shared how he navigated different stages of his career, adapted to new markets and built his professional journey across India and Dubai.

Beyond his corporate experience, he also discussed his journey of building and exiting his own businesses, bringing an entrepreneurial perspective to a room of founders navigating similar challenges.

The conversation offered attendees a rare opportunity to understand both sides of business leadership — the experience of building something independently and the responsibility of driving growth within established corporate organisations.

When Does a Business Become a Real Business?

One of the strongest messages from the session centred on a challenge familiar to many SME founders: building a business that depends entirely on its owner.

Ankit emphasised the importance of creating systems, processes and structures that allow responsibilities to be delegated effectively.

A business becomes truly sustainable when it can function independently of its founder.

For many entrepreneurs, particularly those managing small and growing teams, this was a significant takeaway.

Founders often begin by handling everything themselves — sales, customer relationships, operations, marketing and decision-making. While this may work during the early stages, continued dependence on the founder can eventually limit growth.

The discussion highlighted the importance of moving beyond founder-led execution towards building an organisation with clear responsibilities, repeatable processes and empowered teams.

Rather than remaining involved in every operational decision, business owners need to develop systems that allow others to take ownership.

The message was particularly relevant for SME founders looking to scale their businesses without becoming the biggest bottleneck in their own organisations.

Digital Transformation and Automation: Questions That Matter to SMEs

The conversation also explored how businesses can use technology more effectively.

With Ankit's extensive background in digital transformation, eCommerce and omnichannel operations, attendees raised questions about automation, digitising business processes and the practical challenges of adopting technology within smaller organisations.

For many SME owners, digital transformation is no longer simply about establishing an online presence. It increasingly involves understanding how technology can improve everyday operations, customer relationships, productivity and business efficiency.

The interactive discussion gave founders an opportunity to explore these subjects directly with a senior digital leader who has worked across established retail and business environments.

Members brought questions shaped by their own business experiences, making the conversation relevant to the realities of operating and growing SMEs.

Rather than focusing only on technology trends, the session encouraged a broader discussion about how business owners can think strategically about systems, automation and long-term growth.

The Value of Building Businesses That Can Scale

Ankit's experiences as both a corporate leader and an entrepreneur created an important connection between two recurring themes of the session: business systems and sustainable growth.

Building a successful business requires more than generating revenue or increasing the number of customers.

As organisations expand, the ability to manage operations, delegate responsibilities, maintain consistency and make informed decisions becomes increasingly important.

For SME founders, these are often the challenges that emerge when a business begins moving beyond its initial stages.

The October Boardroom provided an opportunity to discuss these realities with someone who has experienced business growth from different perspectives — as a founder, an operator and a senior corporate professional.

Beyond Networking: Building Genuine Connections with Corporate Leaders

While the discussions offered valuable business insights, another important aspect of the October session was the opportunity to build genuine professional relationships.

WE Boardroom is intentionally limited to a small number of participants.

Unlike large conferences, where attendees may only see a senior executive speaking on stage, the Boardroom format creates an environment where every participant has the opportunity to engage directly with the chief guest.

There are no crowded auditoriums, lengthy presentations or rushed networking exchanges.

Instead, founders sit together, share their experiences, ask questions and participate in conversations that develop naturally throughout the session.

The October gathering reflected this approach, with members engaging openly with Ankit and one another, exchanging perspectives and building connections beyond the formal discussion.

For founders who joined the session, the value was not simply hearing from a senior corporate leader. It was having the opportunity to speak with him, ask questions relevant to their own businesses and build a connection in a setting designed for meaningful interaction.

These are the kinds of opportunities WE Global Network continues to create through its curated membership ecosystem.

Bringing Together Founders from Different Business Sectors

The October edition also brought together entrepreneurs representing different industries and business backgrounds, adding further depth to the conversation.

Among the participating WE Global Network members were:

• Bilna Sandeep MRICS,Founder WE Global Network, Commercial Manager - Procurement - BK Gulf LLC

• Aarsha Raveendran,Chief Operating Officer, Feather Touch decoration LLC

• Sunitha Edwards, Founder of Arrow Head Management Services, operating in the PMP,Brand Strategy ,Art consultancy sector.

• Shirrine Khambata, Managing Director, Shikkmo International Advertising LLC

• Shameer Hamza, Business Development Executive, Stoarc Architectural Consultancy

• Ali Asgar, Founder & CEO of Ruby CRM-Building a world-class CRM, Platform for real estate brokers in Dubai

• Sindoori Jayarajan, Community Manager at WE Global Network, Sales & Partnerships Executive at Growwie

The diversity of businesses represented in the room contributed to a wider exchange of perspectives, with founders learning not only from the chief guest but also from the experiences and questions of fellow members.

Beyond the formal discussion, the gathering created opportunities for members to strengthen existing relationships and establish new connections within the WE Global Network community.

Creating Access That Goes Beyond Traditional Networking

At the heart of WE Boardroom is a simple objective: to make meaningful corporate conversations more accessible to SME founders.

For many entrepreneurs, connecting with senior corporate decision-makers can be challenging. Even when founders attend major business conferences or industry events, opportunities for genuine one-to-one interaction are often limited.

WE Boardroom approaches this differently.

By keeping each gathering intentionally small, WE Global Network creates a setting where senior leaders and SME founders can engage as participants in the same conversation.

Previous editions have brought together corporate leaders from organisations including A.R.M. Holding, Jotun UAE, Alef Group, Warner Bros. Discovery, Orient Insurance, Cenomi Centers , Al-Futtaim Group Real Estate and  Capital Haus. 

The October edition with Ankit Tanna of Geekay Group continued this series of conversations, adding perspectives on digital transformation, entrepreneurship, leadership and building scalable organisations.

The initiative reflects WE Global Network's broader commitment to helping SMEs better understand the corporate ecosystem, develop meaningful relationships and identify opportunities for long-term business growth.

For entrepreneurs looking to explore this subject further, WE Global Network also shares insights on how SME owners can work with the corporate sector in the UAE.

A Collaborative Space for Meaningful Conversations

The October WE Boardroom was supported by Blackswan, the event's Venue Partner, whose collaboration helped provide a professional setting for the closed-door gathering.

The venue partnership forms part of WE Global Network's approach to working with businesses and collaborators who support meaningful engagement within the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

About WE Boardroom

WE Boardroom is a private, members-only initiative by WE Global Network, created to bridge the gap between SMEs and corporates.

Each session brings together a carefully curated group of SME founders and one senior corporate leader for an intimate, discussion-led conversation.

Unlike traditional networking events, keynote presentations or panel discussions, WE Boardroom is designed around direct interaction, practical questions and meaningful professional relationships.

The intentionally limited number of participants ensures that members have the opportunity to engage closely with the invited leader, exchange experiences and develop a deeper understanding of business growth, corporate leadership and industry practices.

Through WE Boardroom and its wider membership initiatives, WE Global Network continues to build an ecosystem where entrepreneurs gain access not just to events, but to conversations, perspectives and relationships that can contribute to their long-term growth.

Explore WE Global Network membership: https://www.weglobalnetwork.com/membership